The construction of a temporary courthouse is expected to allow business to continue while the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge is being renovated and asbestos is removed. Approximately 200 employees of the Middlesex County Superior Court will occupy 140,000 square feet comprising 15 courtrooms and office space in the new location at 2100 Trade Center Park, Sylvan Road, in Woburn.
The lease agreement with Trade Center Park LLC was announced by Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan and Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) Commissioner David B. Perini.
Mulligan said, “I am delighted that the City of Woburn recently approved the site plan and issued the courthouse building permit. We can now move forward to construct a modern court facility for the judges and staff of the Middlesex County Superior Court. This well-designed building will be a dignified and efficient work environment for judges and court employees and will serve to provide access to justice for the citizens of the commonwealth.”
Perini said, “This is a great milestone in our effort to rehabilitate the Edward Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge. This facility will provide an excellent temporary location for the Superior Court while the renovation work is being accomplished.”
Estimates of the length of the renovation work vary from three years to more than five, and costs are estimated to exceed $130 million.
Dennis A. Clarke, president and chief operating officer of Cummings Properties LLC, the managing agent for Trade Center Park LLC, said, “We are committed to building a first-rate court facility, which will accommodate the needs of the judges, employees, attorneys and the public. I look forward to continuing the collaborative relationship that has been established with the Administrative Office of the Trial Court and the Division of Capital Asset Management.”
According to Clarke, the foundation work, which began in early January, and the erection of the steel framework for the seven-story concrete-faced building, is “on track.” The Administrative Office of the Trial Court, the Division of Capital Asset Management, and Cummings Properties said that their shared goal is to have the building completed by Dec. 31, 2007.